Believe it or not, some "germs" are good for you. In fact, if you're healthy, you already have hoards of the tiny critters milling about your gastrointestinal system. Friendly bacteria inhabit the intestines of the human body, taking up anatomical real estate so that less desirable microscopic beasties can't move in and wreck the neighborhood. These days food producers are touting new products containing probiotics, beneficial bacteria that may help with a number of health conditions.
Diarrhea Inhibitors
Probiotics have been found to be helpful in treating various types of diarrhea, including acute infectious diarrhea that affects children, according to USProbiotics.org. Traveler's diarrhea has also responded well to treatment with probiotics, and no negative side effects have been observed. If you've been prescribed a course of antibiotics, you may wish to consider taking probiotics to prevent diarrhea that can sometimes occur due to the effects of the medication you're taking. Antibiotics do not differentiate between good bacteria and bad bacteria, and can destroy the good bacteria that normally inhabits your intestines.
Treatment of Urinary Tract Infections
Probiotics may help prevent infections of the genital and urinary tracts. The University of Maryand Medical Center notes that the strain known as Lactobacillus acidophilus, a probiotic commonly found in yogurt, is the most common form of probiotic used in this capacity, but adds that bifidobacteria and GG lactobacilli may also aid in the treatment of these conditions.
Reduced Symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome
The causes of irritable bowel syndrome remain unclear, but the symptoms are well-documented: cramps, abdominal pain, bloating and constipation. Those suffering from this disorder may find solace in the fact that probiotics have been found beneficial in treating the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. Bifantis, a capsule containing the probiotic bacteria Bifidobacterium infantis, has been proven effective in treating the full range of symptoms associated with this disorder.
Reduced Bladder Cancer Recurrence
The probiotic bacteria Lactobacillus casei has been shown to reduce the recurrence of bladder cancer in patients undergoing chemotherapy. Research lead by Seiji Naito from Kyushu University in Japan, and published in the "Journal of Urology" in February 2008, found that the three year recurrence-free survival rate of patients who supplemented their chemotherapy with this beneficial bacteria was 74.6 percent, compared to only 59.9 percent for patients who underwent chemotherapy without probiotic supplementation.
References
- "The Journal of Urology"; Prevention of Recurrence With Epirubicin and Lactobacillus Casei After Transurethral Resection of Bladder Cancer; Seiji Naito et al; February 2008
- Medical News Today: New Study Demonstrates That Bifantis(TM) (Bifidobacterium Infantis 35624) Offers Relief For Women With Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Urinary Tract Infection
- USProbiotics: Probiotic Basics
- National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: An Introduction to Probiotics
